One True Mate
by BiNeko
Summary: Sarah wants to go back, back to the Labyrinth, back to the underground, back to her friend and back to Jareth. She has planned how to make it there for five years and now, all her work is going to finally pay off. Rated to be safe.
1. It's one or it's the other

Disclaimer: Though I wish, I don't own The Labyrinth.

_**One true mate**_

_Chapter One: It's one, or it's the other._

Sarah Williams sat at her office desk and nibbled on the end of her pencil lightly, the eraser long ago bitten off and disposed of. With a groan, she threw her pencil on her desk and pulled at her hair lightly in annoyance.

"I have no clue how to start this!" She fumed as her eyes scanned the laptop screen before her for the hundredth time in the last two hours. She leaned back in her comfy chair but kept eye contact with her screen as if it was her most hated enemy. "Okay so she goes to the cavern to save her child, but then what? She obviously can't rescue Camille on her own, she's seven months pregnant, her ankle was twisted and she hasn't slept in twenty-four hours!" She shrieked as she threw her arms up into the air.

Sarah was an award winning novelist and she was trying to complete the last few chapters to bring a close to her heroine's sixth and last tome, all of them filled with dangers untold and hardships outnumbered..."**Gahh**!!" She yelled into the empty bedroom she used as an office. "Everything is **not** alway about him **okay**?!" She pointed an angrily finger at her screen in accusation. Sarah sighed and slumped in her chair in resignation. "Okay so every waking minute and each breath really _is _about him, but still." She looked back up with determination lighting her eyes.

Suddenly, her muse returned from her long vacation and let Sarah finish that part that gave her so much trouble. She twisted in an unexpected event sure to bring her readers to reverent tears and saved off that chapter just in time to send it to her editor for approval. She started on the other chapter quickly before her muse decided to vanish again and managed to complete it in record time.

Basically, she got to go to bed at four in the morning instead of her usual seven.

Sarah sighed happily and snuggled into her pillow with her favorite doll close to her heart as she dreamed of flowing silver gowns and goblin masks and dancing.

By _far_ her favorite dream.

The next day, Sarah got up at the crack of noon to fix herself a bowl of sugary cereal and sat at her ancient vanity to look deeply into the mirror. Between bites, she managed to utter the words to summon her best friends into the mirror for their daily consultation. Hoggle's craggy face looked back at her as he told her of his uneventful day until now. He looked so irritated with everything in general but Sarah couldn't help but giggle at her poor friend's even poorer mood.

"What's gots you all gigglin' girl? You'll burst that skimpy dress." He noted dryly, eying her long T-shirt with distaste.

"I'm sorry Hoggle!" She wheezed between a giggle or two. "It's just that you look down right miserable, you're in such a _crabby _mood!" She exclaimed and laughed as his face became even darker.

"I dare say, brother, thou look quite foul this noon!" Didymus commented as Ludo simply nodded acquiescence. Hoggle sent him an irritated glare to which Dydimus could only shrug. "One has to wonder." He said simply.

Hoggle sighed heavily and passed a hand over his face with exasperation. "It's them fairies agains!" He exclaimed. "They be all over the place and wreckin' mah house!" Hoggle shook a fist into the air.

Sarah giggled and wagged a finger at him. "Well maybe if you were a little more lenient with them, they wouldn't feel the need to attack you." She smiled warmly at her friends. "I really miss you guys." She sighed.

"Sawah come!" Ludo said happily.

"Oh Ludo. You know I can't!" She said with much regret tainting her voice.

Sir Dydimus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why art thou hesitant my lady?" He asked.

Sarah stared at each of her friends in turn. "Because of Jareth." She rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. I should care less what he thinks and cross over anyway, but it's his Labyrinth and unless you guys want to meet in the dark _**dark** _forests lining the surrounding area and risk getting _hurt_, then there's no way I'm going over there without things between he and I are settled and we stand on a more common ground." She preached, finger in the air and eyes closed with an air of self-importance.

Ludo and Sir Dydimus looked at each other and shrugged before bidding their human friend a fond farewell, leaving her with Hoggle. "Jareth shouldn't matter to you anymores, Sarah." He said, slanting his beady eyes at her. "There's something else keeping you from us, isn't there?"

Sarah sighed guiltily. "Well," She started, looking into her lap and playing with the hem of her overly large shirt.

"C'mon! Out with it, I ain't got all day y'a know!" Came his gruff prompting.

Sarah cracked a hesitant smile at her best friend and said with a small voice, still looking down into her lap. "I may or may not still have feelings for him...?"

Hoggle leaned forward but hadn't really heard her words. "What? Speak up Sarah, can't hear!" Every delicate. _Sure sounded like she had feelings for the king._ He snorted.

She looked up quickly, glaring at her friend in the mirror. "I _said_," She huffed as she leaned on her vanity and shouted in the mirror. "**THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT STILL HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM!**"

Hoggle sat there blinking then recollected himself. "Well which is it?!" She bellowed back. "You either do, or you don't! Can't be both now can it?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Sarah sat back in her chair. "I don't know, I think I still do." She said in a subdued tone of voice. Hoggle looked back at her and blinked away the hurt he felt from her revelation. He still had feelings for her so it was hard to hear her admit that she liked someone else.

He sighed in self pity. Not like he ever had a chance. He looked back up with determination. Well, at least he was her still her most trusted friend. While he led his internal battle, Sarah never looked up as she was busy contemplating the stitches in her shirt, wondering with half a mind how the thread wove in and out. _This one goes over then scoops down under and then back and..._

"So, -" Hoggle started but was interrupted.

"How is he doing?" He almost missed the words.

He wished he had.

Hoggle rubbed the back of his head in trepidation. "He's fines I guess?" He answered slowly. He watched as she blinked for a moment or two then slowly nodded her head and looked away. Hoggle shuffled his feet a moment then asked her about something he'd been wondering about. "You still have that teddy of him?"

Sarah blushed furiously but nodded slowly. "Yeah...But I'm getting rid of it soon!" She promised. "I'm giving it to someone I know." She waved a hand in the air to show the identity of the person was irrelevant. "Christmas and all, you know?"

She watched as her goblin friend blinked slowly at her with a deadpan look on his face. "No, I don't." He said dryly to which Sarah couldn't help but giggle. Sometimes she forgot that they didn't really celebrate those kind of festivities in the underground so the significance was totally lost on her poor moody friend.

Their talk continued on for a few hours until Sarah said she need to work on her book so she could finally finish the very last saga of her career. _Well,_ She thought dryly. _If things go as planned of course._ Sarah was planning on tying up loose ends in the aboveground so she could escape to where she knew she belonged. _First thing's first though, I need to get on better terms with the ruler so that he'll let me live there peacefully._ She tapped her chin in thought for moment before she got up and brought her empty cereal bowl to the kitchen.

Sarah lived in a two bedroom apartment with a vast living room that was connected to the modest kitchen with an archway. Although she had a big living room, she used the space as her bedroom.

It was the only place with double french doors.

She liked stepping outside on her balcony and look over at the small forested park across the street when she couldn't fall asleep. Using her original living room space as a bedroom was unpractical but at least, the only way to get into her room was to walk through the kitchen. There used to be another archway on the other side of the room, leading to the entrance but Sarah had that part closed off and turned into a walk in closet, there was still a hall behind the closet, but at least it provided with a touch of privacy whenever her agent came over to talk over her book contracts.

Thankfully, the two other rooms were on the other side of the hall, next to the entrance so her agent and her didn't have to go too far into her apartment to get to her office.

Sarah had obvious privacy issues.

She rolled her eyes at that stray thought as she scrubbed her dishes clean and dried them. _To everyone else, at least_. She put her clean dishes where they belonged and brought her coffee mug to her office with her, sipping it along the way. Before settling in to start working, Sarah checked that her coffee machine was brewing her some fresh caffeine and then sat at her computer. She had to keep the coffee pot in her office instead of her kitchen because she was always too lazy to get up and go into the kitchen for refills. She sipped her hot drink wistfully, humming as she enjoyed the bitter taste. "Aaah, good coffee." She praised and cracked her knuckles before booting up her laptop and making sure it was plugged into the wall correctly.

Soon, she was completely engrossed in her work writing up the ending to her greatly appreciated series. Her readers would probably throw a fit when they realized it was her very last book. Sarah shrugged the thought away. Since she was fifteen, Sarah had been writing books, it wasn't long before she was noticed by a well off editor. They had coffee as Sarah presented the man with manuscripts for a total of six short novels she had managed to write. They were all fantasy and they each withheld the adventures of strong-willed women. She couldn't help it; it was her area of expertise. The editor was quite smitten with her adventures and chose two favorites and published them. One got a mediocre success whereas the other one hooked really nicely. And now, she was putting it all to a close. After all those sequels, Sarah felt rather fulfilled.

By all means, those weren't her two only published works. Sarah had squeezed in three more short stories between her sequels, all of which got an acceptable success and granted her a small fortune that could keep her living well for the rest of her life. She was quite proud of her achievements, of course, but none of it brought her any closer to her family and she didn't have any friends. Not that she wanted any; it would make leaving all the more harder.

After she had rescued Toby back from the Labyrinth, Sarah and he were nearly inseparable. That was until she graduated high school a year early. She had been particularly prodigious and was offered entrance to many colleges but turned them all down in favor of pursuing her writing career. So she found herself moving out of her parent's house at the age of seventeen, right after getting her dues from publishing her two books six month before that. Of course, Karen and her dad made a big fuss of her moving out but she told them that she needed it. She didn't really feel close to them anyway.

Now she was twenty, five years after her big adventure in the Labyrinth and living on her own. Seeing as Toby was quite young when she left, he didn't take long before moving on from her. Sure, she was heartbroken that her beloved little brother had managed to forget her so easily, but she knew that it was necessary to distance herself from her aboveground life as much as possible and as gradually as possible so not to shock anyone. That was the thing with leaving, she had no guarantees that she would be wiped from memory so she cut herself off from the world as much as she could so she would be missed as little as she was able.

Sarah blinked out of her silent contemplation of her lonely life. "Oh my! I'm very distracted, aren't I?"

* * *

**_-Yuya-Sama_**


	2. How fare thee?

Disclaimer: The usual.

_**One true mate**_

_Chapter Two: How fare thee?_

Jareth was sitting idly on his throne, looking outside as the noonday sun shone on, twirling three crystal balls in one hand. Suddenly, he nearly falls off his throne in the throes of sneezing violently. He blinked and glared around him to see who had disturbed his peace by **talking about him**. His throne room was completely empty save for the swooping vulture crossing the room from perch to perch._ Damn vultures!_ He shook a fist as he stood from his throne to gaze directly over his precious Labyrinth. Jareth released a sigh and slumped his shoulders. "I dare not think it would be you, dearest Sarah, who be talking about me, huh?" He said with resignation. "No, you'd need to first even **think** about me." He snorted and straightened, summoning a new crystal with one hand and resting the other on the small of his back.

He couldn't seem to get her out of his mind.

Jareth's fingers tightened around the crystal in his hand and he let his eyes fall to it's smooth reflection. He sighed again and tried to have it show him a vision of his beautiful queen. As always, since she left, the image was blurry. He could not see her. His fist clenched and he threw the ball at his feet, shattering it instantly.

"I cannot see her!" He growled with vehemence. He glared accusingly at the shattered pieces of the former crystal ball. He rarely had bouts of anger in which he struck out physically. Jareth closed his eyes to regain his composure and they slowly opened to reveal mismatched, longing-filled eyes as he gaze out over his lands. "Sarah...How fare thee?" He asked softly, almost inaudibly. His heart called out to her, coaxing her to answer his desperate call.

He frowned.

But of course, it would not be answered. She had rejected him at every turn, played with his heart continuously. He had been frightening and she had been scared. He had offered her everything, reordered time for her! Her cruel eyes drank in the sight of his lost soul. His eyes turned angry, scorching as the fists at his sides clenched tight. Everything he did, he did for her. He would have given her everything! He would have been her slave. All he wanted in return was her fear, her love and her devotion. He was at her feet. Jareth drew his hand over his eyes warily and rubbed at the migraine forming behind them.

This was turning out to be a terrible day.

He decided he need fresh air and glared at the vulture on his way out. _Just to keep the fear in it_. He could almost hear it snort and he sighed. Such a pity. As soon as he was outside, Jareth filled his needy lungs with fresh air and looked around blankly. With a flick, he willed his clothes to change to what he liked to call his "traveling attire". He wore and soft cream colored poet's long-sleeved shirt with the cuffs flaring out over his brown gloved hands. He wore a forest green vest that ended just above his hips in the front, and split into two pointed tips down to his knees. He wore mocha colored tights and brown boots that came just below his knees. The heels were about four inch high which brought more attention to his light muscled calves.

He fiddled with the flaring collar of his shirt to make sure they rested over his vest and did not hide his amulet. Finally, he adjusted the strap running from his right shoulder to his left hip, making sure that his cape would not slip down to the floor by tying them tighter. He always looked better with the cape on anyway. It added drama. With a flick of his wrist, a new crystal appeared and he twirled it momentarily before throwing it in the air and teleported in a puff of glitter.

Jareth reappeared at the small cottage house just outside his Labyrinth walls and walked towards the front door. He heard voices inside and his name dropped once or twice and his curiosity was peaked as he pushed the door open. The creaks alerted Hoggle that someone was there just as he was closing a small closet. His hand slipped on the knob clumsily as his eyes stayed glued on Jareth. Slowly, his suprised stare turned into a glare.

"Hello Hogwart." He greeted almost cheerfully, shining him with a smirk.

"Hoggle." He spat. "Gets it right ya rat." He crossed his arms over his chest and stood tall and proud in front of his rival in the game of hearts.

Jareth clucked his tongue disaprovingly. "Now now Higgle,-"

"Hoggle!"

"Yes," He looked at his fingers. "Was that Sarah you were talking to in the mirror?" He asked casually, glancing at the inside of the little house.

"I ain't tellin' yous nothin'!" He spat. "Now go away, you're in my house and I didn't invite yous in, yous tights-wearin' pansy!"

Jareth merely chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." He brought his gaze back to the goblin and tilted his head to the side in speculation before he asked softly. "How is she in the aboveground?"

Hoggle looked at the Fae with a surprised expression plastered on his face then he retaliated angrily. "What's it to yous? She rejected you, remember?" His hands waved in front of his exasperately. "What the hell is wrong with yous two?" He asked more to himself, a desperate tone in his voice. He still felt hurt that Sarah did not return his feelings, he still felt raw from her admission and now this! Even Jareth wants to know about her now! _Like he's loves her too._ Hoggle blinked and turned to the side, not wanting Jareth to see the tears shinning in his gaze.

Jareth blinked. "She asked about me?"

Hoggle snapped his head to level him with a glare. "Yeah." He spat venomously. Then a thought struck him and he smiled slowly. "And yous knows that teddy you gave her when she was a kid? The one of yous?" At Jareth's nod, he continued, looking at his nails nonchalantly. "Well she just tolds me she was, and I quote,_ "Getting Rid Of It."_"

Jareth looked down at Hoggle in horror. "**WHAT?!**" He felt faint for a moment. _She's getting rid of the only memento she has of me?!_ He swallowed bitterly. "What about that little red book she always carried around, quoting it out loud in the park." He asked distantly.

Hoggle looked smugly up at the tall Fae and shrugged non-commitally. "I guess she threws it out." He mused. "Haven't seens her with it for years!" He laughed, holding his belly like a fat man. He sobered and wiped a tear from his eye and looked up.

Oh shit.

No really.

Oh. Fucking. **_Shit!_**

Jareth stood in the doorway of the small cottage house, his head bent and his shoulders completely tense. One hand was fisted in his lop-sided cape while the other held his riding crop so tightly, Hoggle could see the veins on his hands even under the tick leather gloves. If that wasn't enough for him to shit his pants, then perhaps the dangerous powers crackling around the very tense form of the king would clear his constipation.

"Now look here I-" He started.

"Shut _up_." He said tensely, his voice so tight and dark from power that Hoggle winced. Slowly, Jareth raised his head and looked the small groblin directly in the eyes and what he saw was sure to stick with him forever.

And yes, forever was a long time. _Not like some people might say_. He snorted mentally, eying the goblin king.

Eyes of such sorrow. The hurt was nearly palpable. Whatever Hoggled thought he would see in that pale, haunted face, heartbreak was not it. _He really does love her after all._ Suddenly, Hoggle felt horrible. "Look," He started. "I don't know really if she got rid of the book and the teddy is going to someone she knows. She always says she's outgrown dolls anyway. I'm sure she means nothing by it." He explained.

Jareth let out a mirthless chuckle. _Yeah, right._ He straightened his posture and righted his outfit again before he turned around and started walking out the door.

"You gonna win her back now?" Hoggle asked and saw Jareth stop and turn halfway to stare at him contemplatively.

"I doubt it, Hoggle." He sighed. Hoggle blinked when Jareth said his name right this time. The Fae turned around again and said before walking out. "Besides, she will never come with me for it is true that I hold no power over her." He let out a mocking and cruel laugh, feeling more and more resentment towards himself as the minutes ticked by.

Once he was outside, he looked around solemnly then started walking towards the doors. _Perhaps a stroll will make me feel a little better_. As he walked the treshold, the doors closing behind him, he heard a panting Hoggle call out to him.

"Jareth! She wants to come back! Yous better do something about it ya rat!" Came the harsh words as the doors closed shut behind his tense back. Jareth stared at the brick wall in front of him with surprise.

Slowly, his gaze turned contemplative and he rubbed his chin lightly in thought. _She wants to come back underground?_ His heart pounded at the thought of seeing her again. Of touching her. Slowly, a small grin spread across his face and he walked the halls of his Labyrinth with an extra bounce to his step. Suddenly, it started pouring over the land and Jareth stood under the rain with a dark scowl over his face and his shoulders slumped. His eye twitched momentarily and he glared at the sky, shaking his fist at it.

Terrible, terrible day.

* * *

_**  
**_

_**-Yuya-Sama**_


	3. It's hard to stay apart

Disclaimer: That's right, I don't own any of it. Surprised huh?

_**One true mate**_

_Chapter Three: It's hard to stay apart._

Jareth appeared in his throne room, drenched to the bone and looking incredibly unhappy. All around him, the chaos of goblins ceased abruptly and all eyes turned to their estranged leader in shock. None of them dared move, lest they attract the king's attention and suffer his wrath, for a person with such a dark expression on his face was bound to get physical. Normally, goblins weren't such cowards, but with a person of Jareth's power, to be in close vicinity with dark clouds over his head could spell potential disaster for them.

Of course, sometimes Jareth merely walked into the Labyrinth to spend his frustrations. One foolish goblin with a death wish had the gall to suggest a stroll in the Labyrinth.

There was no telling what really happened to the poor chap for he disappeared as soon as the king's snapping gaze fixed on him. He could have been sent to a deep deep oubliette or worse, straight in the bog. Truthfully, no one really cared, it was the goblin's own damn fault, but gods forbid should they ever speak a word while Jareth was in such a mood ever again. A collective shudder of fear traveled around the goblins as soon as his icy glare snapped in front of him as he marched out of the room.

All were wise not to remark upon the goblin king's clothes making funny squeaky noise as he walked.

Once he was in his private chambers, Jareth passed a tired hand over his face, sighing. He thought of Sarah and his newly discovered information. He thought of what might happen should she really come back to the underground. He placed a hand over his heart. He needed her to come back, it was literally a matter of life or death.

* * *

Sarah groaned as she stared at the ceiling, both her arms on either side of her chair. "I'm stuck again." She whined and pinched at the bridge of her nose. This time, a character magically appearing would not save her story plot. _Or anyone else for that matter._ She thought dryly. First, she could not decide whether or not to kill off the heroine's lover. On the one hand, the ending would be so dramatic that it might get it that much more attention. On the other hand, her readers could absolutely hate it, someone would make a movie based on her books and people will hate it even more. So, Sarah felt like keeping the poor chap alive, if only to save her reputation. She glared angrily at her off white ceiling. She was playing it rather safely. She stood up with an air of determination on her face. She was brave! She took on the goblin king himself and won!

Besides, she was leaving this place so who cared about the bad movies anyway?

So, Sarah decided to go out with a bang. It wasn't much of an explosion, mind you, but it made her feel that much better. With a smug look on her face, Sarah clicked the "Send" button to her editor. She leaned back against her chair and entwined her fingers on the back of her head. Tomorrow or the day after that, she was going to get a response. After that, if everything went well, Sarah could finally start the long and tedious process of arranging her departure. There were a lot of things to be done and so little time to do it. She pressed a hand to her heart.

And somehow, she had a feeling she did not have much time left.

She realized that she had to at least contact Jareth beforehand, but that would ruin her plans so she decided against it in favor of surprising the king with **her** tricks for once. She couldn't wait until she finally had both feet in the underground for good, living out the rest of her days with her true friends. She wouldn't ask for anything more, but she hope that if he let her stay, she would try to at least be friends with the elusive king. Sarah stared at the ceiling still and bit her lip. That was the thing with Jareth, if he didn't want her in the underground, he had more than enough power to expel her from it.

When she would get her answer from the editor, Sarah would take until Saturday to fix everything, send her final work, sign her final contract and wave good-bye to Clever Reeds Publishing and hello to freedom. The Reeds family had established a publishing company in the early 1960's and had been handed down from father to son since then. A modest, well off company that had published some great works aside from Sarah's. She never regretted going to them for her books. Sarah ran a hand through her hair and rested her chin in her palm with her elbow on the edge of the desk.

She was thinking about the Jareth plush that she had since she was a child. This morning, she had told Hoggle that she would give it to her friend, except, that person wasn't exactly a friend.

She shrugged. She had outgrown dolls a long time ago. Standing up, Sarah headed for the kitchen to make herself some diner. She opened her fridge and eyed the left over linguine in Alfredo sauce and the Sheppard's pie from two nights ago. She didn't really feel like eating Sheppard's pie so she grabbed the pasta and heated it in the microwave. Whilst that was heating up, Sarah crossed to her room to look into her closet for something. "I think I put it in that drawer..." She mumbled to herself. Reaching far at the back of her dresser drawer, Sarah brushed the tips of her fingers on the edge of her book, taped to the underside of the drawer above it.

With her tongue sticking out, she carefully pulled off the tape so not to damage the old leather from her favorite little red book. She exclaimed joyously and held the book to her chest, looking at it reverently like a long lost friend. From the kitchen, Sarah heard the microwave alert her that her food had warmed up. With a bounce to her step, she walked into the kitchen and pulled out her bowl of pasta. It smelled so good! If there was one thing that Sarah was really good at doing, it was Alfredo sauce. Every time she did it, it turned out perfect, yet, it never tasted quite the same twice. Maybe that's what made her sauce so special, it was unpredictable.

Happily, Sarah nestled herself down into her lazy boy with her wide bowl balancing on her hip as her legs came up to lay behind her while most of her weight was on her right elbow resting on the armrest. Her right hand was extended and tilted toward the lamp light and the other help her fork upright mid-swirl as she mouthed the words from the book. It was hard to tell if she were reciting the words from heart or because she was reading them, but they still never failed to bring her great joy. She could feel her limbs tremble with anticipation as she read line for line. Halfway through the small book, Sarah went to the kitchen to dump her bowl in the sink, nibbled on a cookie while making her way to her bedroom. As she curled up on her bed with only her lamplight to read, Sarah was soon back into her story.

* * *

Jareth looked over at his throne room with a blank stare. He just couldn't stop thinking about Sarah. _Surely if she wanted to come back, she would have called onto me, right?_ He really didn't know. He felt a great deal of anticipation, shaking him to his bones. She had such an effect on the strong king. "She holds such power over me." He grumbled, chin in hand and elbow on his knee, propped on the armrest of his throne. He had long since changed and washed, now his hair was dry and he was wearing a new set of clothes. This time, he wore gray slacks tucked in slightly shiny black boots that went just above his knees. These boots barely had a heel to them, making them look more like riding boots and pants. He wore a white linen shirt that was slightly parted over his chest and over his shirt he wore a black vest.

The vest consisted of straps wrapping around his mid-section to look like belts. It stopped a little before his hips all around, with three belts looping loosely around his hips. The vest wrapped around his mid-section with no straps on his shoulders or neck and only started under his pectorals. Jareth stood from his perch and rolled up his sleeves to gather at his elbows and decided that perhaps the Escher room would be a good place to spend his bad mood. Besides, he had something to reflect about.

With a sigh, Jareth climbed the stairs to his favorite room and started walking around through various archways and climbing stairs upside down. "Maybe she's not ready yet? Maybe that's why she hasn't contacted me." For surely, she would contact him to gain access to his world. All she needed to do was summon him like she summoned her friends in the mirror. Would she do it? He sighed. He had no idea. In fact, he was most positive she wouldn't. It had been five years, she would have tried at least once or twice since then if she had planned on coming back.

He looked around at the stairs criss-crossing, reflecting silently. The only disturbance was a chicken running in front of an entryway and a goblin cursing as it chased it. Idly, he twirled a crystal ball in his hand and decided to tried and see Sarah in its depths. His eyes widened as an image finally started to appear. _After all these years!_ His heart pounded in his chest as he watched his queen now nestled in a pile of cushions on her bed.

She was reading the book.

He could not believe it. She was actually there, in her home and reading the book again. He swallowed hard as his eyes traveled the length of her matured body. A dainty foot showed up to mid calf from under her royal blue bed cover. She lay sprawled on one side, the lamplight illuminating the room for her. He saw her lips move with the words, a small cute frown on her face as she mouthed a dialogue out loud. He chanted a small spell and suddenly, he could hear her deep voice as she whispered to herself. What he heard made his heart leap.

_"You have no power over me."_

The crystal ball slipped from his hand and shatter to the floor. He vaguely saw that the image had turned blurry with those words as he took a step back with a look of disappointment on his face, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed.. He rubbed circles on his temples with his black-gloved hands with agitation.

"This day is not getting any better." He muttered to himself. He regained his composure and decided it was time for a visit.

* * *

**_-Yuya-Sama_**


	4. Now I know better

Disclaimer: Don't own.

_**One true mate**_

_Chapter Four: Now I know better._

She sat up on the edge of her bed, looking at him in the eyes. She looked so beautiful there, with the moonlight hitting her brown hair, making her skin glow. His breath caught at the vision she represented. He swallowed. Seeing her in his crystal and finally seeing her in person was very different. Had he known, he probably would be in his room, sucking on his thumb and rocking back and forth. He held in a whimper. _The great and might goblin king is no whimpering child! I shall not be reduced to such by a mere- _He looked her over with a raised eyebrow. _Woman._ He huffed to himself and felt like slumping his shoulders and dragging his feet back to his castle where he was safe from her charms. Where he knew he would have a better chance at intimidating her. He touched the area over his heart lightly and dropped his hand before she'd notice.

He wanted to pull his hair. She hadn't even done anything yet and he could tell she was starting to feel uncomfortable. _Good, let her squirm._ Even in his mind the words weren't as forceful as he would like. As they should be. He rubbed a hand over the nape of his neck and tried to think of something - anything - to say to this long lost enchantress.

He blinked as he remembered what the goblin had said just that morning. He wanted to know if he had been lying. "Higgle said-" He started.

"Hoggle." She said softly, smiling.

He smirked but felt like moaning at the sound of her voice. "Yes, well he said that you were planning on giving away that doll of me." He cocked his head to the side, hands on his hips and smirking down at her. _All a front of course..._

"Yes, soon." She didn't even hesitate or sound sorry at all. He pushed down his disappointment, not letting his trademark smirk falter in the face of her brutal honesty.

"Not yet?" He asked lightly, looking at his fingers idly, flexing them inside his gloves.

She laughed in her deep velvet voice, giving Jareth shivers. "Aren't you curious tonight." She noted and reached behind her to the pile of cushions on her bed. "I always keep my little Jareth close to me." She said in a small voice, blushing. She dove her arm into the pile and pulled out the doll.

Warmth spread through him at her words. _Does she mean that she likes to think of me? Or is this only about the doll?_ He asked himself, unsure. He looked over the doll she held in her arms. "Not much of the real thing though." He noted dryly. "You know, in a way, it was me who gave you that doll."

She looked up at him, still sporting that blush. "Did you now?"

He smiled wistfully at her. "Yes. When I saw you for the first time. You were twelve back then and didn't have siblings."

She was looking at the doll with new eyes now. _**He **gave it to me?_ "Yeah, Toby was born when I was thirteen. He was two and a half when I wished him away." She said absently, stroking her doll's hair almost reverently. "He's seven and a half now." She tilted her head to the side, looking in her doll's mismatched eyes.

Jareth should have felt miffed that she seemed so absorbed into her doll rather than in his grand presence, but couldn't quite understand why he didn't at this moment. _Wonder why, huh?_ Her fingers stroked through the doll's hair tenderly and he smiled indulgently at her. "I saw you at the park and knew instantly you were special so I gave a doll in my effigy to your parent, to give to you." He announced proudly.

Sarah giggled at his self-importance. She finally looked back up at him, clutching the doll in one arm and her book in the other. She smiled at him and blushed when she realized she had been paying more attention to a replica of him, when the real thing stood within arm's length of her. Her fingers twitched momentarily at that thought. Sarah quickly got up before she decided to molest the King of Goblins and walked to a closet in a far corner. She opened the doors and put the book in a drawer from the dresser in her closet. "You know," She closed the doors silently. "It didn't escape me that tonight is the fifth anniversary of our..." She looked back up at him with a smirk. "..._battle_?"

Jareth smirked back and got up to stand in front of her. "Of course." He announced. He lightly touched the doll's hair, brushing his gloved fingers on her arm and watching as goose bumps immediately rose on her skin and a deep blush stained her cheeks. He let go of the lock of hair and touched his fingertips to her cheek lightly. It was barely a touch. He watched in fascination as she closed her eyes slowly and leaned into his palm, sighing softly. He swallowed hard. "Sarah..." He uttered in a husky voice that did not seem his own. So full of desire. "Why did you refuse me Sarah?" He whispered. The question was familiar to him as he had asked that very question to himself repeatedly over the five years he had missed his queen.

Sarah's eyes opened half way and looked so full of sadness that Jareth felt like swooping her up into his arms and will away her worries. "Oh Jareth..." She closed her eyes again and snuggled into his palm, walking forward and closer to his heat. She heard his breath hitch again and felt a hesitant hand fall to her waist. "It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, even fighting for Toby can't compare." Slowly, her free hand came up and grasped his shirt tightly, shaking with so many emotions. _I finally get my chance to tell him..._ She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. He wore a frown on his face, contemplating her words and trying to understand their meaning. "But sacrifices had to be made." She looked determinedly into his eyes. "I had to save Toby at all costs even if it meant my dreams and happiness." She searched his eyes, waiting for him to realize her words. She didn't have to wait long.

Jareth could not believe what he was hearing. The woman he had revered for so long was admitting to him that she - _She what? Wanted me to grant her her dreams? Wanted to be with me?_ He snorted and narrowed his eyes in contemplation, staring deep into her emerald gaze. He gasped and looked more frantically, not wanting to hope. He remembered her dreams suddenly. He had glanced at the crystal briefly and caught sight of - _Us dancing. I saw myself holding her in **my** arms._ His hand on her waist tightened. _I thought I was fooling myself, I thought I was seeing **my** dreams instead of hers._ He hadn't thought more on it after, so convinced was he that he thought he saw his own desires. But now he realized that her dreams mirrored his own. "Sarah." He said in a strangled voice.

She tilted her head to the side and smiled shyly. "I thought you saw my dreams in that crystal, I thought you knew." She sighed and walked away from the circle of his arms and sat on the edge of her bed, patting the area next to her in invitation. "You know, for the longest time, I just thought you hated me and really didn't mean all you said." She turned to him as he sat so close to her she could smell his scent. "But then I figured that maybe you were simply very sore from losing, for the words I'd said." Sarah touched her hand to his knee lightly and saw his muscles there jump at her touch and she giggled. "Now I know better."

Jareth felt like he was in a dream, Sarah's face lulling him and making him light-headed. Slowly, he bent his head, his lips coming oh so close to hers when he felt the hand on his knee dig into his flesh for a moment before coming up to push lightly against his chest. Jareth had to try very hard to suppress his disappointed groan at her refusal. He got up stiffly and walked to the center of her room, looking out the french doors. Sarah giggled softly, almost nervously. "You remember the ball?"

He blinked incredulously and turned sharply to her. "Of course I remember the ball!" He scoffed indignantly at her but smiled as she laughed. He crossed his arms over his chest in a mock pout. Although, inside, he felt like stomping his feet and throwing a fit for being denied.

"You tried to kiss me then, too." She wagged a finger at him but laughed again as he scowled darkly.

"Yes, tried indeed. If only these efforts would come to fruition." He sighed in self resentment. Sarah giggled again and he brought her up close once more, stopping her giggles. "I could always use spells thought..." He mused out loud, tapping a finger to his chin.

She shrugged, and walked out of his arms again. Sarah turned around again and faced him after she had put little Jareth to bed. "That's why I ran from you at the ball, because you had tried to kiss me." She clarified, gouging his reaction.

Jareth didn't know what to think. "Quite the fulfilling night, what with all these revealed secrets and such." He made a rotating gesture with his hand, his indifferent mask slipping in place.

Sarah could tell he was slightly hurt by her revelation and she bit her lip. She was never good with words she meant. "I didn't run from lack of interest, Jareth." She laughed at herself. "I was young and thought too much of myself back then."

Jareth blinked slowly, unimpressed as he took a step back to put distance between he and the elusive green-eyed nymph. "And now?" His words were whispered in a very low, emotionless tone. He seemed more and more distant and Sarah felt like she had shoved her foot deep into her mouth.

And simply kept on shoving it down her throat.

"W-well...," She started in a nervous giggle. Sarah looked around for inspiration. _How did something so innocent as an attempted kiss turn into this?!_ She thought frantically. She looked out the window, still looking for things to say. "Oh look, it's the full moon tonight!" She gasped and walked to her window, pressing her hand to the cool glass and looking out with genuine enthusiasm. "Don't you just _love _the full moon?" She gushed and turned as she asked but didn't see the goblin king anywhere. "Jareth?" She scanned the room but didn't see a trace of the blond-haired man anywhere. "_Jareth?_" She called again, her voice cracking slightly on the last syllable.

That's when she saw it. _Glitter..._ She thought dismally as she watched the last wisps of his power fade into nothingness in the middle of her room. Her heart sunk and her eyes kept glued to the very spot he had stood last. "Did I hurt his feelings so much?" She tilted her head to the side sadly, still looking in that same spot. "It was only a kiss..." She mumbled.

What Sarah hadn't known was that a kiss meant a whole lot more to Jareth than just the contact of lips on lips. To Sarah, it meant acknowledging her feelings outwardly and proudly showing them in the open. Not that she had never kissed anyone, but she had a feeling that kissing Jareth was much more important than kissing just anyone. She bit her lip, finally realizing how bad she'd done him in.

Needless to say, she was not ready to let **everyone** but Jareth know of her feelings for him. She wanted that particular talk to be private and at the right timing. Her eyes narrowed and darkened with new resolve and determination.

Too bad Jareth forgot he had given her the power of wishes.

* * *

**_Yuya-Sama_**


End file.
